Analysis of research hotspots and trends of standardized patients in medical education in China based on bibliometric analysis
Ding Yongfeng
Wang Weibin
Ruan Jian
Abstract：Objective This study aimed to systematically analyze the research hotspots and trends in the Standardized patients(SP)field in China over the past 30 years using bibliometric methods,providing a basis for the digital transformation of medical education and the reform of clinical competency assessment systems.Methods The terms"standardized patient","standard patient"and"simulated patient"were used as search keywords to retrieve literature related to standardized patients from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang,and VIP databases during the period from January 1994 to December 2024.After removing irrelevant and duplicate entries,a total of 5,531 valid articles were included for analysis.Bibliometric visualization was performed using the software CiteSpace.Results From 1994 to 2024,the annual publication volume in China's SP research field exhibited three distinct phases:a slow start phase(1994-2004,averaging fewer than 30 papers annually),a sustained growth phase(2005-2014,with an average annual growth rate of 16.8%),and a fluctuating adjustment phase(2015-2024,peaking at 467 publications in 2019 followed by a post-2020 decline).Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified core research themes such as"standardized patients","clinical teaching"and"teaching methods",while burst detection analysis highlighted topics integrated with emerging technologies,including"flipped classroom","situational simulation",and"online teaching",which collectively reflected the dynamic evolution of SP-related studies in response to educational innovation and technological advancements.Conclusion Over the past 30 years,SP research in China has shifted from a focus on"tool introduction"to"technology integration"driven by practical applications.In the context of the digital transformation of medical education,the deep integration with emerging technologies will construct an intelligent clinical teaching system covering multiple educational stages,providing talent support for the"Healthy China"strategy.
Keywords：standardized patientmedical educationresearch trends
Publication Date：2025-09-20
Online Publishing Date：2025-09-02(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 663-667 )